Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy Admits Americans Are ‘Sick of Masks’ and Vaccine Mandates

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 08: Protestors gather in Grand Park outside City Hall a
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New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) said Wednesday that Americans are tired of overbearing coronavirus restrictions.

The governor told Politico the harsh coronavirus mandates and restrictions are frustrating Americans.

Asked about the reasons for his election scare in November, where he won by only three percentage points in the dark blue state of New Jersey, he said, “A lot of folks who are frustrated, is my guess… They’re sick of masks, being told what to do in terms of vaccines, probably not thrilled with what they sense is going on in Washington, they may have lost a job or a business that went bust — or a loved one, worse yet.”

Murphy, who was among the greatest proponents of tyrannical shutdowns and mask mandates before the election, seems to have changed his mind and become more open to individuals exercising personal responsibility regarding pandemic precautions.

When Politico asked Murphy what he had learned from barely escaping election defeat in November, he said more decisions must be based on science rather than on political coercion.

“Do two things: Do right by Covid. And I know all these folks, and they do that already, but keep making the decisions not based on the politics but based on the facts of the science and of the data,” he said.

“And secondly, make sure you’re at the kitchen table of working families in your state, making sure they understand both what you’re doing as a governor, and what the president and Congress are doing nationally translates into their evening discussion,” he added.

Murphy narrowly defeated Republican former state lawmaker Jack Ciattarelli in a race that was not predicted to be closely contested. The New York Times called the election for Murphy with 90 percent of the ballots counted, showing Murphy with 50.03 percent of the vote and Ciattarelli with 49.22 percent.

“If you want to be governor of all of New Jersey, you must listen to all of New Jersey. And New Jersey, I hear you,” he said after winning reelection.

Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø

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